Samsung is getting ready to unveil its next flagship smartphones: the [Galaxy S26](https://amzn.to/3NcKimB), [Galaxy S26+](https://amzn.to/49vU3ng), and [Galaxy S26 Ultra](https://amzn.to/4pB2svI). While the company's launch rhythm has been steady for years, 2026 will break from tradition. Instead of the familiar mid- to late-January Galaxy Unpacked event, the Galaxy S26 family is now expected to arrive closer to the end of February.
Here's how the key milestones before, during, and after launch are shaping up.
Like most smartphone makers, Samsung plans its launches well in advance, with Galaxy Unpacked acting as the anchor point. Early expectations pointed to three devices in January 2026: an Ultra, a refreshed Edge model, and a new Pro-branded entry-level phone.
That plan didn't last.
Reportedly, soft sales of the [Galaxy S25 Edge](https://amzn.to/4qia4V5) pushed Samsung to drop the Edge entirely for this generation. At the same time, Apple's strong performance with the £799 [iPhone 17](https://amzn.to/4bugImu) convinced Samsung to keep its own entry model at that price point, rather than introducing a more expensive "Pro" tier. The result is a return to the familiar trio: Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+, and Galaxy S26 Ultra.
That late reshuffle has pushed manufacturing timelines back, and, by extension, the launch itself.
Two reliable Samsung watchers, Evan Blass and Ice Universe, say Galaxy Unpacked will take place in San Francisco on Wednesday, February 25. That's a whole month later than recent launches for the [Galaxy S23](https://amzn.to/3YwWv82), [S24](https://amzn.to/4jxrgTO), and [S25](https://amzn.to/4pElNfj) families.
Last year's event began at 1 pm Eastern, 10 am Pacific, and there's little reason to expect Samsung to change that formula. A similar start time is the safe bet.
Before the keynote comes the formal announcement. In 2025, Samsung revealed its January Unpacked date on January 6, deliberately overlapping with the Consumer Electronics Show. That move kept Samsung firmly in the innovation conversation, even without a CES keynote.
If Samsung sticks to the same two-week lead time, invites for the February 25 event should land during the week of Monday, February 9.
Timing matters. Mobile World Congress begins in Barcelona on March 2. By holding Galaxy Unpacked less than a week earlier, Samsung once again gets to dominate the news cycle before the rest of the industry descends on Spain.
It's the same playbook Samsung used with CES last year, and it worked.
Samsung typically opens pre-orders as soon as the keynote wraps up, and there's no reason to expect a change here. Pre-orders for the [Galaxy S26](https://amzn.to/3Z530iy) family should open immediately after Unpacked, likely on February 25.
What may change is the incentive mix. Boosted trade-in values are almost guaranteed, but Samsung's long-running "double storage" promotion could be at risk. Rising RAM and storage costs make that offer harder to justify, even if Samsung absorbs some of the hit through direct sales on its own website.
Still, with no significant price increases expected, there's a chance Samsung keeps the storage upgrade alive in key markets.
Between launch and retail availability, reviews will start to land. In previous years, first reviews appeared about a week after launch, which would put them right at the end of MWC.
That creates an interesting choice. Samsung could let reviews compete directly with MWC's "Best of Show" coverage, or delay the embargo slightly and reclaim the spotlight once Barcelona quiets down. A day-one MWC embargo lift would be bold, but Samsung has shown before that it's willing to clash with major tech events if the payoff is there.
Samsung generally prefers Fridays for retail launches, but fresh information suggests a slight change this year. French deal-tracking site Dealabs reports that the Galaxy S26, S26+, and S26 Ultra will go on sale in Europe on Wednesday, March 11, 2026.
Samsung usually treats Europe, the UK, North America, and South Korea as day-one regions, so the March 11 date should apply globally.
That puts the retail launch exactly two weeks after Galaxy Unpacked, with fourteen days of pre-orders beforehand. It also places the phones in stores less than a week after MWC ends, letting Samsung ride both the Unpacked hype and the post-MWC consumer buzz.
A fourth model, likely called the Galaxy S26 FE, is still expected later in 2026. Fan Edition phones are designed to deliver most of the flagship experience at a lower price, much like Apple's "e" models or Google's "a" series.
Based on the Galaxy S25 FE's September 2025 debut, don't expect the S26 FE until well into the second half of the year. For now, the focus is firmly on the main trio.
With Galaxy Unpacked set for February 25 and retail availability pencilled in for March 11, Samsung has built a clean, deliberate runway for the Galaxy S26 family. The delayed launch may have started as a logistical headache, but it now puts Samsung in a strong position.
By the time MWC fades from memory, the Galaxy S26 Ultra and its siblings will be on shelves worldwide, backed by weeks of marketing, reviews, and pre-order momentum. For Samsung, timing could be as important as the hardware itself.
Here's how the key milestones before, during, and after launch are shaping up.
A late change to the Galaxy S26 lineup
Like most smartphone makers, Samsung plans its launches well in advance, with Galaxy Unpacked acting as the anchor point. Early expectations pointed to three devices in January 2026: an Ultra, a refreshed Edge model, and a new Pro-branded entry-level phone.
That plan didn't last.
Reportedly, soft sales of the [Galaxy S25 Edge](https://amzn.to/4qia4V5) pushed Samsung to drop the Edge entirely for this generation. At the same time, Apple's strong performance with the £799 [iPhone 17](https://amzn.to/4bugImu) convinced Samsung to keep its own entry model at that price point, rather than introducing a more expensive "Pro" tier. The result is a return to the familiar trio: Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+, and Galaxy S26 Ultra.
That late reshuffle has pushed manufacturing timelines back, and, by extension, the launch itself.
Galaxy Unpacked: February, not January
Two reliable Samsung watchers, Evan Blass and Ice Universe, say Galaxy Unpacked will take place in San Francisco on Wednesday, February 25. That's a whole month later than recent launches for the [Galaxy S23](https://amzn.to/3YwWv82), [S24](https://amzn.to/4jxrgTO), and [S25](https://amzn.to/4pElNfj) families.
Last year's event began at 1 pm Eastern, 10 am Pacific, and there's little reason to expect Samsung to change that formula. A similar start time is the safe bet.
When the invites should arrive
Before the keynote comes the formal announcement. In 2025, Samsung revealed its January Unpacked date on January 6, deliberately overlapping with the Consumer Electronics Show. That move kept Samsung firmly in the innovation conversation, even without a CES keynote.
If Samsung sticks to the same two-week lead time, invites for the February 25 event should land during the week of Monday, February 9.
Beating MWC to the punch
Timing matters. Mobile World Congress begins in Barcelona on March 2. By holding Galaxy Unpacked less than a week earlier, Samsung once again gets to dominate the news cycle before the rest of the industry descends on Spain.
It's the same playbook Samsung used with CES last year, and it worked.
Pre-orders and early incentives
Samsung typically opens pre-orders as soon as the keynote wraps up, and there's no reason to expect a change here. Pre-orders for the [Galaxy S26](https://amzn.to/3Z530iy) family should open immediately after Unpacked, likely on February 25.
What may change is the incentive mix. Boosted trade-in values are almost guaranteed, but Samsung's long-running "double storage" promotion could be at risk. Rising RAM and storage costs make that offer harder to justify, even if Samsung absorbs some of the hit through direct sales on its own website.
Still, with no significant price increases expected, there's a chance Samsung keeps the storage upgrade alive in key markets.
Reviews and embargo timing
Between launch and retail availability, reviews will start to land. In previous years, first reviews appeared about a week after launch, which would put them right at the end of MWC.
That creates an interesting choice. Samsung could let reviews compete directly with MWC's "Best of Show" coverage, or delay the embargo slightly and reclaim the spotlight once Barcelona quiets down. A day-one MWC embargo lift would be bold, but Samsung has shown before that it's willing to clash with major tech events if the payoff is there.
Retail release: mid-March looks locked in
Samsung generally prefers Fridays for retail launches, but fresh information suggests a slight change this year. French deal-tracking site Dealabs reports that the Galaxy S26, S26+, and S26 Ultra will go on sale in Europe on Wednesday, March 11, 2026.
Samsung usually treats Europe, the UK, North America, and South Korea as day-one regions, so the March 11 date should apply globally.
That puts the retail launch exactly two weeks after Galaxy Unpacked, with fourteen days of pre-orders beforehand. It also places the phones in stores less than a week after MWC ends, letting Samsung ride both the Unpacked hype and the post-MWC consumer buzz.
What about the Galaxy S26 FE?
A fourth model, likely called the Galaxy S26 FE, is still expected later in 2026. Fan Edition phones are designed to deliver most of the flagship experience at a lower price, much like Apple's "e" models or Google's "a" series.
Based on the Galaxy S25 FE's September 2025 debut, don't expect the S26 FE until well into the second half of the year. For now, the focus is firmly on the main trio.
The big picture
With Galaxy Unpacked set for February 25 and retail availability pencilled in for March 11, Samsung has built a clean, deliberate runway for the Galaxy S26 family. The delayed launch may have started as a logistical headache, but it now puts Samsung in a strong position.
By the time MWC fades from memory, the Galaxy S26 Ultra and its siblings will be on shelves worldwide, backed by weeks of marketing, reviews, and pre-order momentum. For Samsung, timing could be as important as the hardware itself.